Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Who makes us laugh? What makes us laugh? Find out in these forays into the history and evolution of the belly laugh. Topics cover a variety of comedic protoypes including silent, slapstick, and stand-up as well as biographies of well-known comedians and humorists.This Time Together by Carol BurnettBurnett, one of the most successful and beloved comedic performers of our time, presents her second memoir. In it, she recounts her early days as a struggling actress in New York City and her rapid rise to success. She reminisces about her costars and her friendships with luminaries including Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, and Julie Andrews while also touching on more personal and somber issues, like the tragic death of her daughter. Burnett's narration is warm and engaging; her performance is at turns humorous, poignant, and utterly irresistible.My Life in and out of Show Business by Dick Van DykeFans who like Van Dyke's affable, self-deprecating characters will enjoy this first memoir, because his prose is as easygoing and comical as he appears on-screen. At the outset, Van Dyke warns readers that he is not going to dish the dirt, and he doesn't, but he will still engage celebrity watchers with inside stories of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins , and other parts of his career. Bossypants by Tina Feyrom her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon, comedian Tina Fey reveals all, and proves that you're no one until someone calls you bossy.